Support

A cookie is a piece of data stored by your browser or device that helps websites like this one recognize return visitors. We use cookies to give you the best experience on BNA.com. Some cookies are also necessary for the technical operation of our website. If you continue browsing, you agree to this site’s use of cookies.

Marketing Services

Bloomberg Next marketing services allow clients to elevate their brands and extend their reach through our established and trusted expertise, enhanced with engaging event production, appealing design, and compelling messaging.

Nov. 8 — Paid time off comes in many different forms: sick leave, vacation, parenting leave,
family leave. Many employers are happy to provide it as a benefit;
they just don’t want to be told how much they have to provide and for how long.

Paid leave proposals from state and local governments and Congress have been picking
up momentum. So far, California, New Jersey and Rhode Island have paid leave laws
on the books and New York will soon follow. Congress has also seen several paid leave
proposals from Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) and Patty Murray
(D-Wash.). Some big name employers including Netflix, Microsoft and Facebook have
announced generous leave benefits. The issue has even entered the presidential race,
with both candidates floating paid family leave proposals.

All of this has employers worried that a patchwork of laws mandating paid leave may
create unnecessary complexity. This is a particular concern for large employers operating
across multiple states and localities.

“This is just a huge issue for companies. We’re probably hearing more about this than
just about any other issue,” James A. Klein, president of the American Benefits Council,
told Bloomberg BNA. “For major employers operating in multiple jurisdictions, they
need consistency.”

Allison Wils, executive director for state programs and senior director of health
policy with the ERISA Industry Committee, agreed that consistency is needed. “There
is definitely an issue with the patchwork effect,” she told Bloomberg BNA.

More Work

The devil is in the details when it comes to the administration of these laws for
employers. All of the potential reporting and record-keeping requirements could add
up to big headaches for employers, Wils said.

Additionally, proposals on paid leave include a variety of definitions, Klein said.
Some laws refer to paid leave, while others refer to family leave or sick leave. There
needs to be consistency to make it easier for employers to comply, he said.

Neither Klein nor Wils support a mandated paid leave law. Klein advocates for a voluntary
standard, whether it be at a state or federal level.

If there is a mandate, Wils said lawmakers should shoot for “uniformity at the highest
level.”

How Do We Get There?

Calling for voluntary standards at the highest levels might be the most palatable
choice for employers, but it may not be the way to get paid leave benefits to more
American workers, Ellen Bravo, executive director of the advocacy group Family Values
@ Work, told Bloomberg BNA.

“A voluntary program won’t get”
employers to act the way a mandate would, because many don’t act unless they have
to, Bravo said.

Paid leave policies have “intended consequences”
that improve employee retention and make workers more productive. For small employers
who can’t provide those kinds of benefits on their own, paid leave policies that provide
a “social insurance pool” will help, Bravo said.

As for employers that worry that paid leave laws would hem them in, Bravo said the
goal is to always create a minimum and never a maximum, so that employers can always
be more generous than the law.

But the way to get a federal paid leave law is by chipping away at the paucity of
those laws, Bravo said.

“The way you get there, is at the state level,” Bravo said. “We are hoping we will
win a critical mass of states and it will help power a win federally.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Kristen Ricaurte Knebel in Washington at
kknebel@bna.com

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Jo-el J. Meyer at
jmeyer@bna.com

All Bloomberg BNA treatises are available on standing order, which ensures you will always receive the most current edition of the book or supplement of the title you have ordered from Bloomberg BNA’s book division. As soon as a new supplement or edition is published (usually annually) for a title you’ve previously purchased and requested to be placed on standing order, we’ll ship it to you to review for 30 days without any obligation. During this period, you can either (a) honor the invoice and receive a 5% discount (in addition to any other discounts you may qualify for) off the then-current price of the update, plus shipping and handling or (b) return the book(s), in which case, your invoice will be cancelled upon receipt of the book(s). Call us for a prepaid UPS label for your return. It’s as simple and easy as that. Most importantly, standing orders mean you will never have to worry about the timeliness of the information you’re relying on. And, you may discontinue standing orders at any time by contacting us at 1.800.960.1220 or by sending an email to books@bna.com.

Put me on standing order at a 5% discount off list price of all future updates, in addition to any other discounts I may quality for. (Returnable within 30 days.)

Notify me when updates are available (No standing order will be created).

This Bloomberg BNA report is available on standing order, which ensures you will all receive the latest edition. This report is updated annually and we will send you the latest edition once it has been published. By signing up for standing order you will never have to worry about the timeliness of the information you need. And, you may discontinue standing orders at any time by contacting us at 1.800.372.1033, option 5, or by sending us an email to research@bna.com.

Put me on standing order

Notify me when new releases are available (no standing order will be created)